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Superior Designs
Plot Jock is the strongest out of the Arlesdale Railway engines. He pulls the longest trains, and shunts the most trucks out of the four engines. Sometimes he boasts to the other engines, but they usually keep him in check. One day, Jock was at Arlesburgh Junction, preparing to pull twenty coaches, which none of the other engines could do. Duck was delivering the passengers for him. "This will be the record of our line," encouraged Jock's driver, "We can do it Jock! We must take all these passengers!" "I sure hope so," said Jock worriedly, "I don't want to let everyone down." "You won't, Jock. Trust me," said the driver. The guard blew his whistle and waved his flag. Jock pumped his pistons and began to pull out of the station. "You can do it!" cheered Duck. "Thanks Duck! I'll do my best!" Jock was determined as he sped out of Arlesburgh. "I will do it..." he panted, but his cheeks were already as red as Mike's paint. Jock's driver quickly shoveled more coal into the firebox. Jock grunted as his sandboxes put sand on the rails. "Come on," said his driver, "This train's going straight to Arlesdale!" "That's a relief," panted Jock sarcastically. Frank rolled by with a maintenance run. "Jock, what in the blazes are you doing?" he cried. Jock was too tired to reply. He tried to say something, but he couldn't. Frank rolled his eyes. "That Jock sure if a risk-taker sometimes...and sometimes that's not a good thing." he muttered. Jock overheard what Frank had said, but couldn't retort a thing as he puffed into the next station. He puffed along the Arlesdale Railway, trying his hardest, while the other engines looked on in confusion. "What's Jock doing?" Rex asked at as Jock puffed around a bend towards the station. "I think he's setting a record," said Bert, "Personally, I think it's rather foolish." "You know how Jock is; if he starts something, he'll finish it. It's kind've admirable when you think about it." "...I suppose," muttered Bert. Rex just grinned. Later, Jock pulled into Arlesdale with one big final puff. He was the tiredest he had ever been, but he was still rather pleased with himself. "I did it!" he exclaimed. "You sure did ol' boy," said his driver, "You showed this railway!" "Isn't that being a bit cocky?" asked Jock, when he was interrupted by abrupt cheering and clapping from all of his passengers and the people on the platform. Jock felt very proud indeed as the people clapped and cheered for him. "Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!" some shouted. Jock grinned broadly "Wow... This is wonderful!" he said. That night, Jock was boasting to the others. "I have such a superior design!" he chuckled, "You all pull only fifteen coaches. I can pull twenty!" The Blisters were shocked. "Wow, really?" asked Blister I. "Yes, of course," replied Jock, "'Tis a shame you all can't be amazing like me." "Oh shut up you blusterer." scowled Mike. "You've got a problem mate?" asked Blister II. "Yes, he does," chuckled Jock, "Don't worry though, he's just jealous." "Me? Jealous? Over my red paint!" "That's enough, all of you," said Bert, "Now what we need to do is sort our differences-" "No, what we need to do is teach Jock a lesson," said Mike. "Oh shut up," grumbled Jock and he went to sleep. "Bossy boiler," muttered Rex. The next morning, Jock opened his eyes and chuckled. "Well, I guess they're all jealous. I'll show them." He puffed out of the shed and whistled loudly, waking the others up. "Jock, what was that for?" cried Frank angrily. "Oh nothing, just to show how loudly I could whistle." "Whistles are for alerting other engines or people! Not for playing games!" cried Rex. "Tell that to Mike when he lost his whistle," grinned Jock. "Don't remind me of that!" fumed Mike and he blew steam at him, but he didn't make a difference. "Ingrates," Jock muttered. Jock puffed away for his first train, grumbling under his breath. As soon as Jock was out of earshot, the other four engines were starting to devise a plan, while the Blisters just sat there waiting for their drivers. "We must do something before Jock tries something silly," said Rex worriedly. "I say bash his buffers! They're too big for him!" cried Mike indignantly. "I suggest we let him learn his lesson," said Bert, "That way he'd learn it better." "Honestly, your wheels are too small for you, Bert," scowled Mike. Bert rolled his eyes as he puffed out of the shed. "Any ideas?" asked Frank. "Nope." said Rex. "...me neither," said Mike quietly yet angrily. Later that day, Mike met up with Jock at Ffarquhar Road. To Mike's astonishment, Jock was pulling fifteen trucks, which was more than he himself had ever pulled. Mike stuttered before he finally managed to say something. "That's a long train you have there." he grumbled. Jock grinned. "Of course! I've got a much stronger structure than you other engines. A larger boiler, taller.." Mike turned as red as his paintwork with rage, but before he could say a word, Jock cockily left the station. "That's it," Mike cried, "I've got to do something about that bossy boiler. I don't care what Bert says!" Bert, meanwhile was at Marthwaite with a guaranteed connection with a bus. He sat calmly as Jock puffed in. "Well Jock, hello there," said Bert. "Oh hello... Do you see how many trucks I'm pulling?" Jock asked eagerly. "I guess," muttered Bert, "Jock, you haven't been the same since you broke that record. I believe-" "I don't care what you believe," Jock interrupted rudely, "I believe you're just jealous." Bert sighed as the bus rolled in with the passengers. Jock chuckled as he puffed out of Marthwaite. "Goodness, he really is out of control... Something should be done... But... what?" asked Bert to himself. Jock was puffing along towards Arlesdale Green. As he puffed along, he kept on thinking about what the other engines had said. Their words circled around his funnel like a bunch of bees. "Pfft, they're just jealous. I am a very amazing engine." Then he got an idea. "I know! I'll pull fifteen trucks! Then I'll prove I am better designed than they are!" Jock exclaimed as he puffed into the station. But Jock had said his plan too loudly, for his driver overheard as they stopped at Arlesdale Green, where the train of trucks was due to go. "Twenty-five? I'm sorry Jock, but that's just too much for you. Even I wouldn't do that, and you know me." "Please?" pleaded Jock, "I know you want us to be the best..." His driver sighed then smiled. "Alright, if it's to prove my engine is the best on the line, I guess it's okay." Jock smiled broadly as he turned on the turntable. "Tomorrow, I will do it." he puffed. That night, Jock said nothing at Arlesdale Shed; he was too excited about the next day. The others didn't dare say anything in case Jock decided to pipe in and ruin a decent night's sleep. All was said was a "This is new," by Mike. Lucky for him, Jock didn't hear him. The next morning, Jock woke up to his driver shouting at him. "Come on, there's twenty-five ballast trucks at Arlesdale! Let's pick them up!" Jock looked around frantically in case any more engines were about, but only the Blisters were in the shed and they were rather excited. "Oh, I can't wait to see you glide along the line!" said Blister II. "Indeed! You truly are amazing!" added Blister I, "The others are just jealous, like you said." Jock grinned. "Why, thank you. It shall be a pleasant sight for you when I leave here." he said and he puffed away. At the station, Rex was shunting some coaches for himself when Jock pulled up alongside. "Jock, what are you doing now?" asked Rex. "I'm pulling twenty-five trucks!" boasted Jock, "Amazing, isn't it?" Rex frowned. "Jock, I'm not so sure if that's a good idea." "You just don't believe I can do it," chuckled Jock, "Don't worry though, I'll do it easily." Rex gulped as Jock's guard blew his whistle and the yellow engine puffed out of Arlesdale, ready to set off for Arlesburgh. Jock puffed through Arlesdale Green and managed to make it to Ffarquhar Road. The yellow engine's face as red as ever, but he soon found out it hard to move. He panted, out of breath. "I will make it to Arlesburgh!" he panted furiously as he stopped. But his driver was worried. "Jock, our water gauge is empty!" "What?!" cried Jock. "You're lucky you stopped at a station," the driver continued, "Or else we'd be in real trouble." "There's a water tower right there though." Jock observed. "It's out of order," explained the driver, "Read the sign." Jock sighed. "Darn it..." Mike puffed alongside with a train of ballast and laughed. "Well well! What in the world happened to you?" he joked. Jock sighed. "I ran out of water..." Mike frowned. "Oh. Well, uh... I can pull you to the next water tower." "Really?" asked Jock. "NOT! Ha ha, that's hilarious." and Mike puffed away, leaving Jock alone on the line. "Oh..." groaned Jock. Rex puffed up behind Jock with some passengers and whistled crossly. "Hey, get out of my way!" he cried, "I have to be on time, and I'd figure that a 'superior' like yourself could go faster...!" Jock sighed. "Sorry Rex, I ran out of water." Rex couldn't help chuckling. "Shut up, it's not funny!" mumbled Jock. "Sorry Jock, but it kind of is, considering you've been on your high horse lately." said Rex as he tried to stifle his giggles. Deep down in his boiler, Jock knew Rex was right but he was still cross at being laughed at. Just as he was about to yell at Rex for being cheeky, the green engine did something unexpected. "Since you're apparently not moving, I can push you," Rex offered. "You can do that?" asked Jock, amazed. "The rest of us are stronger than you think." Rex winked. Jock grinned broadly as Rex started to push him to the next water tower. Luckily one wasn't far as it was before Arlesburgh Bridge Street. Jock's driver filled up his water tank at the water tower and as soon as the tank was filled, Jock puffed away. "Thanks Rex!" called Jock. "No problem," said Rex and he puffed onto a junction. When Jock finally pulled into Arlesburgh Junction, Duck was cross. "What took you?" he asked angrily, "This is an urgent delivery!"' "Sorry Duck, I ran out of water." apologized Jock as the chute filled Duck's trucks. "Next time fill up on water, like the Great Westerners," advised Duck and he puffed away with his late train. Jock was very embarrassed indeed. That night, Jock was the last one to get to the shed. "Why are you so late?" asked Mike teasingly. Jock scowled. "I had trouble along the line, that's all." "No, you ran out of water!" laughed Mike, "I saw you!" Jock sighed as for the first time in a while, his cheeks were red from embarrassment. "Alright, you're right and I want to say... I'm sorry." Mike stopped laughing as the engines all stared at Jock. "For real?" asked Rex. "Yes. I've been too big for my buffers lately since I broke the record, and I'm sorry." "Good," said a voice. It was the Small Controller, who was walking up to the shed. "I'm glad to hear you learned your lesson Jock and I hope this won't happen again." "Yes sir, sorry." said Jock nervously. "The old Jock is back!" cheered Bert and the engines all whistled while Frank honked his horn. The Small Controller chuckled. "Well Jock, while I am a bit pleased that you broke the record, I want you to know that record-breaking isn't what this line is about; it's a tourist attraction as well as the best place for ballast on the whole island." Jock grinned. "Of course sir! For the Arlesdale Railway!" "For the Arlesdale Railway!" laughed the engines. Characters *Duck *Mike *Rex *Bert *Jock *Frank *Blister I and Blister II *The Small Controller Category:Sodor Adventures